Engineer, Senior Automation

Job DescriptionJob Description

Senior Automation Engineer

Job Description

STATUS:

Exempt / Salary

DEPARTMENT:

Automation

HOURS:

Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm REMOTE

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

Reports to: Automation Supervisor

Supervise: N/A

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The basic function of this position is to provide electrical automation controls design for projects & potential projects for the company. In addition, this role provides controls logic and startup assistance for the automation controls portion of projects for the company.

SUMMARY OF KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Accountable to research & obtain internal or external assistance in designing automation controls systems & logic.
• Accountable to design automation controls systems within their expertise to fulfill customer needs & RELCO goals.
• Authority to communicate & direct customer, vendors, and internal staff as needed to complete the automation controls portion of projects assigned.
• Authority to alter and/or halt the assigned project duties with just cause and according to company policy.
• Authorized to approve purchases up to the project line-item budget.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

Responsibilities

Duties

Standards of Performance

Quotes

• Advises sales needed/missing information to provide an accurate quote.
• Interacts with customer/vendor to gather information required to do an accurate quote.
• Advises sales on constraints from customer that are unrealistic, costly, risky, etc.
• Requests advice from others in department on issues outside of expertise.
• Provides accurate numbers & disclaimers to customers for quotes.

• Quality of interacting with coworkers & customers during the quoting process.
• Accuracy of information gathered to provide a correct quote.

Electrical Drawings

• Reviews PID drawings & identify devices needing controls.
• Research panel components’ electrical connections & draws them on electrical drawing.
• Appropriately marks the electrical drawing for revisions & stages with proper approvals.
• Orders panel components’ parts & accounting for lead time on them.

• Quality of following RELCO’s documented processes for errors/revisions.
• Accuracy of ordered parts and providing feedback.

Panel Building

• Reviews parts list & inventories parts in an organized fashion for assigned projects.
  1. Contacts people regarding missing items.
  2. Reads electrical drawings & builds the panels to customer specifications.
• Gives appropriate feedback on errors on electrical drawings.

• Level of detail to ensure all correct parts are in house for panel building.

Automation Programming

• Writes/tests logic software & hardware.
  1. Identify device control boundaries of sequencers instances & pin charts.
  2. Produce pin charts & review with process engineer.
  3. Conform code structure that applies for the project.
  4. Document code.
  5. Set-up & recipe screens to organize in a logical fashion based on production mode, chronological write order, and flow paths.

• Quality of identifying device control boundaries.
• Quality of code used and documented.

Panel & Programming Testing

• Programs networks that support IO in panel(s).
• Double-checks wire labels, solenoid labels, terminal labels, etc. for correctness.
• Checks every IO point for communication to PLC code for assigned projects.

• Level of detail to ensure correctness.

Pre-Commissioning & Commissioning

• Performs start/commissioning and troubleshooting of the programming hardware, software, & field instruments.
  1. Set-up and verify field instruments, VFD, PLC IO, and HMI clients.
  2. Informs superior of concerns/delays with commissioning of the control system while onsite.
  3. Watches people & control system interaction and detects unforeseen bad events that can be avoided by changing the code with approval from superior.
  4. On the fly code changes with low risk of bringing system down.
• Carries out project duties that minimizes stresses for onsite commissioning for all.
• Provide onsite training of customer personnel in the proper operation & maintenance of the controls systems when needed.

• Quality of set ups & informing others of concerns that could cause delays
• Quality of onsite training if required

Internal Software Development

• Take a software/idea & formulate layout for the code.
• Develop and document the code.
• Test and maintain internal software for the end users.

• Quality of the idea, the layout, and the code used for the project

Collaboration

• Seeks advice with peers on assigned quotes & projects.
• Provides advice to peers that should not grossly interfere with assigned projects.
• Provides advice/improvements for assigned project to the assigned process/project engineers.

• Quality of advice given to peers
• Level of effort to seek advice

Other Duties

• Assist with all special projects assigned by the manager/supervisor.

• All other duties as assigned.

** Note** The job description above is only a characterisation of the duties and not a full list. The provider of the function is also obliged to loyally carry out all reasonably commissioned duties.

COMPETENCY PROFILE

• Teamwork
• Communication
• Attention to detail

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

Education: 4 year degree required

Experience: 5-7 years experience in Automation required

Kovalus offers a comprehensive package that includes: Medical (4 plan options), Dental (2 plan options) and Vision insurances; 401K (match & fixed company contribution); health savings and flexible spending accounts; company provided basic life insurance policy with the option of selecting additional voluntary life insurance for self, spouse or dependents; insurances (short-term policy is company paid & long-term is split between company and employee); voluntary insurance plans for accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity; business and personal travel insurance; 10 paid holidays; vacation time; sick time; employee assistance program; educational assistance program; referral bonus; bereavement leave. All benefits are subject to applicable plan and program terms (including eligibility terms) and may be subject to change.